Week 75, 13 – 17 June 2022

Ireland and the UN Security Council – This Week

This bulletin will provide a brief analysis of last week’s meetings at the UN Security Council (UNSC), and an overview of the upcoming meetings this week.

Last week, the Security Council met to discuss the on-going situation in Ukraine, focusing on allegations of conflict-related sexual violence, and human-trafficking. Elsewhere in the UN the General Assembly held its first debate under the newly adopted ‘veto initiative’, after China and the Russian Federation vetoed a draft resolution in the Security Council, marking the first time that Permanent Members of the Security Council were requested to defend their use of the veto in front of the General Assembly.

The General Assembly reviewed the Security Council’s 2021 annual report and elected five new non-permanent members to the Council. Meetings were also held on the Central African region and on the work of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD).

• The Security Council was briefed on 6 June 2022, by Pramila Patten, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who recalled her recent visit to Ukraine and detailed the mounting allegations of sexual violence by Russian troops in Ukraine. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, was also present and stressed that sexual violence as a weapon of war must be prosecuted without impunity. Ireland highlighted the growing risk of human trafficking among displaced people from Ukraine and noted that Ireland has welcomed more than 30,000 displaced Ukrainians in an effort to mitigate against such risks.

Pramila Patten

• The Security Council met to discuss the Central African region on 8 June 2022. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, explained to the Council that the situation in the Central African region remains something of a mixed picture with some countries making democratic strides, whilst others are facing worsening security conditions. Ireland reiterated the call for the link between climate change and security to be appropriately recognised in the Security Council’s work and highlighted the effects of climate change on the stability of the region

Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee

• On 8 June 2022, the General Assembly held a debate for the first time under the newly adopted ‘veto initiative’, (document A/77/L.52) after China and the Russian Federation vetoed a draft resolution in the Security Council on 26 May 2022, aimed at tightening the sanctions regime against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). China cited a lack of consensus for the resolution as the reason behind its use of the veto, while the Russian Federation claimed that the new sanctions prescribed by the text and tabled by the United States in the Council would worsen the humanitarian situation in the (DPRK). Ireland called on the DPRK to engage in meaningful dialogue toward lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula.
• Christian Ritscher, Head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD), briefed the Council on 8 June 2022. He detailed that significant investigative progress in the collection of evidence has been made into the financing, use of chemical weapons and crimes committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Ireland welcomed this progress and called for continued efforts to develop legislation enabling the domestic prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity and genocide and for the relevant parties to form a government in order to progress such legislation as a matter of priority.
• The Security Council held a closed meeting with representatives of the countries contributing troops and police to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on 9 June 2022.
• The General Assembly reviewed the Security Council’s 2021 annual report, on 9 June 2022, and pressed the Council to deliver an annual report that moves beyond a simple compilation of activities and scrutinizes its critical work to uphold global peace and security. Delegates in the General Assembly also elected five new non-permanent members (Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland), to the Security Council for the 2023-2024 term. The new members will replace the 2021-2022 non-permanent members of the Council, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway.

H.E Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason

The Week Ahead (13 – 17 June 2022)

This week, the Security Council will hold meetings on Mali, Yemen, and Haiti. The second signature event of Albania’s June presidency of the Council will also take place, in the form of an Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

Monday – 13 June 2022

• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Special Representative of the Secretary-General, El-Ghassim Wane, will brief the Council on the UNSG’s latest report, ahead of the mandate renewal later in June.

Tuesday – 14 June 2022

• The outgoing President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), Carmel Agius, as well as the IRMCT Prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, will speak at the Council’s semi-annual debate on the IRMCT.
• The Council will hold a briefing and consultations on Yemen. UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, will brief along with, Ghada Mudawi, the Acting Operations Director of UN OCHA. Major General (Rtd) Michael Beary of the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) is also expected to participate.

Wednesday – 15 June 2022

• The Council will hold an Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), the second signature event of the Albanian presidency. Albanian Foreign Minister, Olta Xhacka, is expected to chair, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN Women Executive Director, Sima Sami Bahous, and representatives of the African Union, League of Arab States and the OSCE all expected to participate.

Thursday – 16 June 2022

• The Council will hold its annual meeting on EU-UN cooperation, with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, expected to participate.
• The Council will hold briefing and consultations on the situation in Haiti. The Council will be briefed by Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Helen La Lime.

Friday – 17 June 2022

• No official meetings.